Powder Springs, Georgia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Powder Springs, Georgia
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Powder Springs City Hall
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| Motto(s):
"Small enough to know you...Large enough to serve you"
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Location in Cobb County and the state of Georgia
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| Country | United States |
| State | Georgia |
| County | Cobb |
| Area | |
| • Total | 7.44 sq mi (19.26 km2) |
| • Land | 7.43 sq mi (19.23 km2) |
| • Water | 0.01 sq mi (0.03 km2) |
| Elevation | 945 ft (288 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 16,887 |
| • Density | 2,274.04/sq mi (878.03/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code |
30127
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| Area code(s) | 770/678/470 |
| FIPS code | 13-62524 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0356480 |
Powder Springs is a city in Cobb County, Georgia, United States. The population was 13,940 at the 2010 census, with an estimated population for 2019 of 15,758. In 2015, the city elected its first black mayor, Al Thurman. He was the first African-American to be elected as a mayor in Cobb County, but was one of several elected in small towns in Georgia in 2015. The 12,000-capacity Walter H. Cantrell Stadium is located in Powder Springs. It is used mostly for football and soccer matches.
Contents
History
The town of Powder Springs was incorporated as Springville in 1838 in the lands of two Cherokee Indian leaders. Gold had been discovered in Georgia ten years earlier, and the first European-American settlers came to find gold. The settlers found little gold in the mines at Lost Mountain and off Brownsville Road. It was at about this time that the Cherokee people were forced off their land and removed to Indian Territory west of the Mississippi River on the Trail of Tears.
Springville was renamed as Powder Springs in 1859. The name was derived from the seven springs in the city limits. The water in these springs contains some 26 minerals that turn the surrounding sand black like gunpowder – hence the earlier name of Gunpowder Springs.
Civil War history includes a skirmish at Lattermore's Mills on June 20, 1864, that was a part of the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain and General Sherman's Atlanta Campaign. Many slaves escaped the plantations in this area to join Sherman's forces and gain freedom.
Geography
Powder Springs is located in southwestern Cobb County at 33°51′57″N 84°40′49″W / 33.86583°N 84.68028°W (33.865933, -84.680349). U.S. Route 278 (C. H. James Parkway) passes through the city west of its center, leading 5 miles (8 km) southeast to Austell and 11 miles (18 km) northwest to Dallas. Downtown Atlanta is 22 miles (35 km) to the east via US 278 and Interstate 20.
According to the United States Census Bureau, Powder Springs has a total area of 7.2 square miles (18.6 km2), of which 0.01 square miles (0.03 km2), or 0.17%, is water.
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1890 | 262 | — | |
| 1900 | 280 | 6.9% | |
| 1910 | 315 | 12.5% | |
| 1920 | 336 | 6.7% | |
| 1930 | 342 | 1.8% | |
| 1940 | 431 | 26.0% | |
| 1950 | 619 | 43.6% | |
| 1960 | 746 | 20.5% | |
| 1970 | 2,559 | 243.0% | |
| 1980 | 3,381 | 32.1% | |
| 1990 | 6,893 | 103.9% | |
| 2000 | 12,481 | 81.1% | |
| 2010 | 13,940 | 11.7% | |
| 2020 | 16,887 | 21.1% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
2020 census
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 4,287 | 25.39% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 9,180 | 54.36% |
| Native American | 38 | 0.23% |
| Asian | 268 | 1.59% |
| Pacific Islander | 6 | 0.04% |
| Other/Mixed | 773 | 4.58% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 2,335 | 13.83% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 16,887 people, 5,125 households, and 3,899 families residing in the city.
Parks and recreation
- Powder Springs Park
- Powder Springs Trail System
- Silver Comet Trail
Education
Powder Springs Public Schools are part of the Cobb County School District, and is home to McEachern High School, located on the site of the former Native American burial ground and the former Seventh District Agricultural and Mechanical (A&M) School.
The late Georgia Senator Richard B. Russell attended the Seventh District A&M School. The administrative building of McEachern High School is named for Senator Russell.
Other schools serving Powder Springs include Hillgrove High School, Tapp Middle School, Dobbins Middle School, Powder Springs Elementary School, Lovinggood Middle School, Varner Elementary, Compton Elementary, Kemp Elementary, Still Elementary, and Vaughan Elementary.
Notable people
- Rory Anderson (born 1992), tight end for San Francisco 49ers of National Football League, selected in seventh round of 2015 NFL Draft; played college football at South Carolina
- Gregg Bishop, film director, screenwriter and producer; born in Powder Springs
- Pat Cannon (1904–1966), United States Representative from Florida; born in Powder Springs
- Kenyan Drake (born 1994), running back for Las Vegas Raiders of National Football League, selected in third round of 2016 NFL Draft; played college football at Alabama, where he was a three-time SEC champion (2012, 2014, 2015), a BCS national champion (2012), and CFP national champion (2015).
- Evan Engram (born 1994), tight end for New York Giants, selected in first round of 2017 NFL Draft; played college football at Ole Miss
- Mark Lee (born 1973), guitarist for Christian rock band Third Day, born in Powder Springs
- Jason Lively (born 1967), actor, born in Powder Springs
- Robyn Lively (born 1972), actress; born in Powder Springs
- Shaquell Moore (born 1996), professional soccer player for CD Tenerife, and the United States Men's National Team.
- Al Thurman, businessman and politician, City Council member for 13 years, first black mayor of city, elected in 2015
- Taylor Trammell (born 1997), outfielder for Seattle Mariners
- Tiffany Whitton (born 1987), woman who lived in Powder Springs at the time of her 2013 disappearance.
See also
In Spanish: Powder Springs para niños
